Mitsubishi Outlander vs Honda ZR-V

What's the difference?

The Outlander PHEV in GSR spec is a nifty daily driver, quietly appealing and more than capable of heading off-road as long as you drive it well within its AWD limits.

If you reside in the city or suburbs and your daily driving is not too punishing in terms of distance, then this PHEV makes a lot of sense. A hybrid vehicle is a happy-compromise move towards an EV future – and the Outlander PHEV is a big step in the right direction.

Should you consider the Honda ZR-V if you are looking for a new family SUV? Absolutely, it offers the right blend of practicality, panache and poise to make it a serious consideration over the hot-selling Mazda CX-5.

What might dissuade some buyers is the smaller dimensions, but seriously, the ZR-V is a poster child for ‘making the most of what you got’. There are a few other nit-picky things about the new Honda, but those cons (collectively) aren't a deal-breaker.

Sorry, Civic Type R, the 2023 ZR-V might be the best car Honda Australia has in its line-up right now, and it deserves at least your attention and consideration, even if that doesn’t evolve into your outright commitment.

In terms of exterior dimensions, this PHEV is 4710mm long (with a 2706mm wheelbase), 1862mm wide and 1745mm high.

The Outlander is an inoffensive-looking AWD wagon with an appearance every bit in line with its GSR spec and price-tag without going over the top.

On the outside, this top-shelf GSR incorporates Mitsubishi’s 'Dynamic Shield' design facade, which was divisive in its early years but has since attracted its fair share of fans.

On the inside, this Outlander has black leather-appointed upholstery with silver stitching, the same treatment applied to the soft-touch armrests, centre console top, sections of the dash and elsewhere.

And the big 20-inch machined alloy wheels top off a classy yet relatively subdued overall look.

In the realm of medium-sized city-going SUVs with weekend road-trip inclinations – think Hyundai Santa Fe, Kia Sorento, Kia Sportage and the Outlander’s hybrid rivals like the Nissan X-Trail e-Power, Toyota RAV4, et al – this Mitsubishi AWD more than holds its own because in terms of design none of them are bound to set hearts a-flutter. But they’re all fine. 

Honda is on a bit of a tear in terms of design, at least to my eye.

All models in its line-up look modern, sophisticated and properly upmarket. And yes, that’s counting the Accord mid-size sedan, too.

The ZR-V is certainly no different, and while it does crib more than a few design cues from the likes of the Porsche Macan and Maserati Grecale, for a mainstream mid-size SUV, that’s not necessarily a criticism.

The front end is characterised by tall headlights and a chiselled bonnet, but the component that draws the eye the most is the front grille.

With a trapezoidal shape and vertical slats, at first glance the ZR-V’s toothy grin sort of looks like the aforementioned Grecale, and it's a departure from the face of the Civic (on which it is based).

I’m still not one hundred per cent sold on the front styling of the ZR-V. It doesn’t look too cohesive or consistent with the rest of the Honda Australia line-up (the HR-V and CR-V SUVs have a horizontal-themed grille), but it’s not ugly.

Step to the side and there are shades of Macan thanks to its long bonnet, bulbous bodywork and short overhangs.

I like the top-spec VTi LX’s body-coloured wheel arches, too, invoking a little BMW vibe to make the ZR-V feel a touch more upmarket.

However, the rear is my favourite element of the ZR-V, thanks to a funky tail-light design, nicely-sized spoiler and a subtle contrasting diffuser with integrated twin exhaust outlets.

Step inside, and those familiar with the new Civic will feel right at home thanks to a honeycomb dashboard insert that hides the air vents, floating multimedia touchscreen and perfectly girthed steering wheel.

Everything about the cabin is laid out in a clear and sensible manner, but the soft-touch materials and contrast stitching throughout just elevate it from something you might expect from Honda.

And build quality in the ZR-V is excellent. Everything feels so solid and well put together, with nary a sign of squeak or rattle.

Is it the best-looking mainstream family SUV out there? It certainly comes close, but to my eye, Mazda’s CX-5 just edges it out due to a more consistent overall design. 

This SUV has a family-friendly and functional interior with a premium feel, even if it does seem somewhat underdone for the price.

But it has all the right elements of a family tourer, in a cosy cabin in which it’s easy enough for driver and passengers to spend a chunk of time on lengthy road trips without complaint. I know, because we did.

The GSR has comfortable leather seats, a (mostly) user-friendly multimedia system, plenty of charge points (USB-A and USB-C up front and two USBs for second-row passengers), lots of soft-touch surfaces and a reasonable amount of storage space peppered throughout.

Nice touches, such as the heated steering wheel and heated front seats, which also have the massage function, top off what is an impressive interior.

There is wired charging for smartphones with Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, as well as a wireless charging pad. There are also 240V/1500W power outlets.

The 9.0-inch multimedia touchscreen is too small for me (perhaps a case of Old Bloke Eyes?), but it’s better when engaged in Apple CarPlay mode. The 12.3-inch high-resolution digital driver display is simple enough to use, and the 10.8-inch head-up display is a handy feature.

The driver has an eight-way power adjustable seat, so they’re able to dial-in their favourite driving position.

As stated, this Outlander’s seats are comfortable with a reasonable amount of room for everyone, though the third row is a tight fit for anyone other than children.

The second row is a 40/20/40 split configuration, while the third row is 50/50.

In terms of packing space, there is 191 litres in the rear cargo area when all seats are being used, 461 litres when the third row is folded flat, and 1387 litres when the second and third rows are stowed away.

Measuring 4568mm long, 1840mm wide, 1620mm tall and with a 2655mm wheelbase, the ZR-V is one of the smallest mid-size SUVs in Australia.

But don’t let the figures fool you, as this pint-sized family hauler has a few tricks up its sleeve.

From the front row, there is ample room to get comfortable, while storage options extend to door pockets, a glove box, a generous wireless smartphone charging pad, two cupholders and a handy storage shelf under the shifter.

However, the front seats found in the VTi LX grade of ZR-V feel insufficiently bolstered and flat, at least to my back and bottom.

I found myself sinking and sliding around in the seat more than I would have liked in my time with the car, so this could be an area of concern for slimmer people like myself.

In the second row, there is sufficient space behind the driver’s seat, set for my 183cm frame, while map pockets and a fold-down armrest also come into play alongside the door’s bottle holder.

Worth noting, however, that while there's plenty of space to fit a forward-facing kids car seat and a front passenger, the door trims are a little chunky and leave little room for my toddler to slide in and out of said safety seat.

Open the boot and you will find enough room for 370 litres of volume, which can expand to 1302L with the rear seats stowed.

Although this isn’t close to class-leading (even the CX-5 manages a 438L/1340L rating), the flat floor and easy-to-remove cargo blind make it a breeze to throw a pram, shopping or any sort of gear into.

I think boot space is one of those stats that will always sound good on paper, but how you use that space in reality is a better indicator of practicality, and in this regard, I was never wanting for more space in my week with the car.

Honda’s 2023 ZR-V line-up can be had from as little as $40,200 drive-away for the base VTi X, while the top-spec e:HEV LX hybrid will set buyers back $54,900.

What we have is the highest grade available exclusive with petrol power, the VTi LX, priced at $48,500.

And for this sort of spend, you can expect a long list of equipment, similar to the fit-out you would usually see on luxury models wearing a German badge.

There’s a leather interior, heated and power-operated front seats, a heated steering wheel, heated rear seats, dual-zone climate control, a 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster, rear privacy glass, LED exterior lighting, a wireless smartphone charger and two-tone 18-inch alloy wheels.

Handling multimedia is a 9.0-inch touchscreen with Android Auto and wireless Apple CarPlay support, as well as in-built satellite navigation and digital radio.

Now, some might look at the ZR-V VTI LX’s near $50,000 price tag and think ‘Well, that’s just too expensive for a Honda’. But keep in mind that’s the drive-away price.

A similarly-priced Mazda CX-5 for example, the $44,300 before on-road costs Touring, misses out on features like rear heated seats and a powered tailgate, but also has a larger engine and all-wheel drive traction.

As for the Toyota RAV4, the equivalent variant would be the one-from-the-bottom $43,310 GXL that has a cloth interior, manually adjustable seats and an 8.0-inch multimedia screen.

All things considered, the ZR-V VTi-LX offers plenty of bang for buck for a family buyer, with enough of the modern conveniences that means you won’t be feeling the FOMO for many years to come.

The Outlander PHEV has a 2.4-litre four-cylinder petrol engine producing 98kW at 5000rpm and 195Nm at 4300rpm, an electric motor on the front and rear axles, and a lithium-ion battery pack with a total capacity of 20kWh.

Combined output (engine and electric motors) is 185kW and 450Nm and this PHEV’s electric-only driving range is listed as 84km on a full charge.

It has a single-speed transmission and drive modes include 'Eco', 'Normal', 'Power', 'Tarmac', 'Gravel', 'Snow' and 'Mud'.

It has three power-use settings: 'EV Mode' for low to medium speeds urban running, 'Series Hybrid Mode' which allows the petrol engine to step in for urgent acceleration or climbing hills and 'Parallel Hybrid Mode' for highway overtaking where the vehicle runs on engine power with electric assistance.

Powering the ZR-V VTi LX is a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine, the same one available across the model line barring the top-spec e:HEV hybrid.

The engine produces 131kW/240Nm, which isn’t all that much compared to larger engine rivals in the same segment.

Paired to the engine is a continuously variable transmission (CVT) that drives the front wheels.

And while a mid-size family SUV is never about outright power, and Honda’s powertrain options aren’t exactly plentiful at the moment, know that you aren’t getting the spiciest SUV with the ZR-V.

The Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV GSR has a listed fuel consumption of 1.5L/100km on a combined (urban/extra-urban) cycle but, as with all official fuel figures from any carmaker, you can take it with a hefty grain of salt.

That said, if your daily driving distances are within this PHEV’s electric driving range (84km, as listed) and you’re able to drive in EV mode most of the time, then at the very least you will have chopped your fuel bill.

On this test, dash-indicated fuel consumption was 5.8L/100km; actual fuel consumption, as measured from pump to pump, was 7.7L/100km.

The good news is the Outlander PHEV runs happily on the cheaper 91RON 'standard' fuel.

Our dash-indicated power usage was 20.8kWh/100km. This PHEV gobbled through most of its 20kWh battery capacity quite swiftly on the drive from the vehicle pick-up point in Sydney to our test start-point just over 100km away.

It recouped 10km electric driving range via regenerative braking on a series of long downhills when set to ‘Charge’ driving mode (with the combustion engine generating power to the battery), but I had to cycle through regen modes to optimise that power regain.

The dash-indicated combined driving range (battery and engine) was 748km on a full charge and a full 56-litre tank.

Mitsubishi states that if you’re charging off a standard household power point it will take “approximately” 9.5 hours to fully charge your Outlander – or 6.5 hours if you’re using a home or public charging device.

Things speed up considerably if you use a public rapid recharging station. In that case, Mitsubishi says your Outlander Plug-in Hybrid EV will reach 80 percent battery capacity in 38 minutes.

Officially, the ZR-V VTi LX returns a combined cycle fuel economy figure of 7.4 litres per 100km, but in my week with the car I managed 9.8L/100km.

This figure is much closer to the city consumption number of 9.3L/100km and, given I only drove the car in Melbourne’s inner city, that explains why.

The ZR-V VTi LX needs just 91RON petrol at the bowser, helping to keep refill costs down.

As mentioned earlier, hybrids are your best buy at this moment in time, if you want to help save the world from climate-change disaster, avoid range anxiety, and save some money on fuel bills – all without having to sacrifice safety, comfort or features.

And – bonus – the Outlander is quite nice to drive. Not to mention a pretty handy light-duty off-roader. But more about that later.

It has a kerb weight of 2145kg with light but sharp steering and a tight (11.2m) turning circle so it’s an easy vehicle to manoeuvre around busy city and suburban streets.

The teaming of a 2.4-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and two electric motors works seamlessly well. There's always plenty of power on tap and, no matter how energetic your driving becomes, this Outlander remains smooth and quiet.

Throttle response is sharp and there’s plenty of punch off the mark as well as zippiness around town when you need it.

The PHEV’s EV-only driving range is a listed 84km but our test vehicle chewed through most of its battery power on a 110km highway trip through hilly territory.

Regenerative braking regained very little of that used power and the Outlander switched to rely on petrol for the remaining 30km or so of that trip.

The driver is able to adjust the degree of regenerative braking via paddle shifters on the back of the steering wheel: use the left to add more and the right to ease up.

The drive mode options tweak engine, electric motor, transmission and other factors to suit the selected set-up.

Other than that, ride is quite firm, handling is civilised and, overall, this Outlander is rather pleasant on sealed surfaces.

And, as I alluded to earlier, it’s surprisingly comfortable and capable off-road – as long as you stick within the parameters of the kind of 'off-road' terrain an AWD SUV is built to cope with: well-maintained gravel roads and dirt tracks with minor corrugations in dry conditions… or, at worst, rain-puddled blacktop.

The Outlander has satisfactory off-road measures for a city-focussed vehicle: of 18.3 degrees (approach angle), 22.2 degrees (departure), 18 degrees (ramp breakover) and 203mm of ground clearance (unladen). 

It feels nimble in the bush because steering is light and precise, visibility is good all-around, and the vehicle settles well on gravel and dirt tracks at speed, only ever skipping around a bit on rougher sections, due to its firm suspension and road tyres.

You can switch drives modes to either Gravel, Snow or Mud to best suit the terrain on which you’re driving but with the Outlander’s lack of ground clearance, road-biased tyres and 20-inch wheels, this SUV is hamstrung by its city-biased physicality.

But, this is still a handy dirt-road tourer, yielding comfortable and controlled ride and handling, only ever becoming rattled when the road or track surface becomes very chopped up and bumpy.

The Outlander’s 'Super-All Wheel Control' (S-AWC) system deserves a fair amount of credit. This traction control system manages torque application so it is instantaneous, and delivers drive with impressive levels of throttle control and an even-handed management of power.

Worth noting the Outlander did, of course, go through battery capacity at a faster pace off-road than it did when we were on sealed surfaces .

Off-roading, by its very nature, is more difficult and demands more of a vehicle than driving on smooth sealed surfaces does. And, for that reason – and the fact the Outlander is quite low – I’d avoid driving this SUV on terrain more challenging than well-maintained gravel roads and dirt tracks with minor corrugations in dry conditions.

I’ve driven an Outlander PHEV on sand before and it taxes the capacity even faster.

As mentioned earlier, this Outlander does not have a spare tyre. The absence of a spare – even a space-saver – is a disappointment, especially if you’re considering using your PHEV as a touring vehicle. A puncture repair kit is provided.

Payload is listed as 605kg, towing capacity is 750kg for an unbraked trailer and 1600kg braked. GVM is 2750kg and GCM is 4350kg.

For a mid-sized family SUV, the ZR-V proves surprisingly fun and engaging behind the wheel.

A large part of this is due to the fact that the steering feel is just so good.

With enough weight and feedback coming from the tiller, it makes it an absolute delight to thread the ZR-V through traffic, around a roundabout or even a twisty road.

Some mainstream SUVs have opted for overly light steering feel, which ends up straying too close to unnatural. But the ZR-V, at least in this VTi LX form, nails it.

Backing up the steering is a comfortable ride, which is another pleasant surprise in the ZR-V.

The 18-inch wheels fitted are shod with thick 225/55 tyres, meaning there is plenty of sidewall to help soak up the bumps and ruts of Melbourne’s roads.

Don’t get me wrong, we're not talking premium levels of isolation here, but the plush ride is a welcome in a mainstream SUV.

Aiding this feeling of serenity is the 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine and CVT that is as smooth as they come.

I’ve never really warmed to CVTs in the past, but the ZR-V has a great one, ‘shifting’ smartly to avoid excessive drone, while the engine delivers enough kick to move things along briskly.

And, in a way turning a negative into a positive, the smaller dimensions of the ZR-V mean it doesn’t feel that big on the road, which makes car parks that much easier to navigate despite also offering enough practicality for a small family and some gear. 

Honda’s new ZR-V is yet to be crash tested by ANCAP or Euro NCAP and does not have an independent safety rating.

However, standard safety equipment includes forward collision warning, autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, traffic sign recognition and lane keep assist as part of Honda’s 'Sensing Suite'.

The VTi LX adds rear cross-traffic alert and a surround-view monitor to the equipment list.

Rear cross-traffic alert should really be standard across the range and not just on the top-spec model. Its absence is a bit of a disappointment.

In my time with the car, I also found the automatic high beams to be overly aggressive. They were slow to turn off around other cars, leading to a more than a few flashes from oncoming traffic. I ended up just switching the auto high beams off.

The Outlander range is covered by a 10-year/200,000km warranty – as long as servicing is completed on time by an authorised Mitsubishi dealership (otherwise, five years/100,000km) – and 10 years capped price servicing and 12 months roadside assist.

Outlander service intervals are scheduled at 12 months or 15,000km. Service costs can officially range from $349 through to $799 for a 10-year average of $549 per workshop visit.

The battery set-up has an eight-year/160,000km warranty. 

Like all new Hondas sold in Australia, the ZR-V comes with a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty, matching the period offered by many mainstream brands like Ford, Hyundai, Mazda and Toyota.

And while this falls short of Kia’s seven-year warranty and Mitsubishi’s (conditional) 10-year period, the ZR-V’s servicing costs are among some of the lowest in the segment.

For the first five years or five services, each is just $199, with scheduled maintenance every 12 months or 10,000km.